We came to Korea to be teachers, to help children to learn. Turns out that working as an English teacher in Korea has taught us a lot of things too: lessons in leading, discipline, understanding and eternal patience (ok, still working on that last one…). And, we’ve learnt that school in Korea is completely different than in England; would you ask about a teacher’s relationship status in the UK? Most probably not. In Korea? It’s one of the first questions you’re asked (and repeatedly asked again, and again, and again).

I’ve been living in Korea for 18 months now, enough time to get over the initial culture shock and to adapt to living the Korean lifestyle. There have been both good things- going out for dinner and getting a delicious, filling meal for under £5, and bad- fearing for your life every time you are on/ near the road because of the crazy drivers.

Here are some of the things I have become accustomed to during the last year and a half in Korea- the good, the bad and everything in between…

As it may not be common knowledge yet, I was teaching Italian secondary school students in Ireland for a month for pocket money while spending the summer here with Herself and +1. It has been fun.

Of course I explained to them that I did not actually live in Ireland, and that I was a resident of Korea (no not North, South). This got a reaction sometimes, and other times it didn’t. The students I was teaching were nice, with a decent standard of English, but I was lucky to have the higher levels, as there were other teachers who were considerably less fortunate. But anyway.

If Junsu’s Xia Tarantallegra was a delight to your eyes then this new song – Cherry Blossom Ending – by the Korean Indie band – Busker Busker – will be an absolute delight to your ears. This track is an appropriate song for spring as it paints a beautiful picture of falling cherry blossom petals.

The band has three members – Beom-June Jang (lead vocals/guitar), Hyung-Tae Kim (bass), and Brad Moore (drums). Songs for the album – Cherry Blossom Ending – were written and composed by the singer/guitarist Beom-June Jang.

Korean-American songwriter Jenny Hyun is creating quite the stir for a string of racist comments she made via Twitter calling for, among other things, the “eradication of the black race.” All of this growing out of the overnight success of the nice kid from LA, Jeremy Lin.

Nine-member K-pop group, Girls’ Generation, also known as SNSD, made their U.S network TV debut by performing their hot single, “The Boys,” on The Late Show with David Letterman last night (Jan. 31).

One of the most watched late night shows, The Late Show is famous for its celebrity guests, from politicians to Hollywood actors and actresses. This is a breakthrough for K-pop because this is the first time Korean singers have been invited as the musical act.

After their stellar debut last night, Girls’ Generation performed “The Boys” again on Live! With Kellytoday to a cheering crowd and taught some of their dance moves to host Kelly Ripa and guest co-host Howie Mandel.

While Girls’ Generation has started to accumulate a worldwide audience, K-pop is also rising in popularity with other leading K-pop groups such as theWonder Girls, who made their U.S. TV debuton The Wendy Williams Show in 2009 and is considered GG’s biggest rivals. The Wonder Girls are set to screen their TV movie, a cross between Fame, Step Up, and Bring It On,on TeenNick tomorrow, February 2 at 5PM pst/ 8PM est. To watch the movie trailer, click here.

Watch Girls’ Generation perform on The Late Show with David Letterman:

Here’s a clip of their performance and short interview on Live! With Kelly:

Visit the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, NY on August 16 to join the festivities! Hosted by the Korean Cuisine Globalization Committee, this year’s Korea Day will take place between 11am and 7pm. The welcoming ceremony will begin at 11:30, followed by the many events organized for visitors. In addition to ongoing performances, the event will also feature a K-Pop contest, with contestants competing for free round-trip tickets to Korea.